Do you know who your “tribe” is?

They are the people who really need what you have to offer. The problems that consume their days and steal their sleep are exactly what you solve. You have the expertise they need.

Defining your tribe goes far beyond age/gender/location. You need to know where they spend time, both online and offline. You need to know what they struggle with and what holds them back from asking for help.

Most of all, you need to know how to authentically connect with your tribe.

Find Your Tribe

Knowing who the people are that you can best serve is the first step. Another term for this is defining your niche.

Many business owners are afraid to claim a niche. They feel that by focusing on serving everyone, they will get more business.

Unfortunately, it’s not true. You can’t be available to everyone and still make a difference in the world. You have to find who it is you do your best work with and focus only on that group.

Key thought: When you include everyone, you attract no one.

Let me give you an example. Let’s pretend there’s a woman named Barbara Feinstein. She’s 40, with two teenagers at home. She’s a practicing Jew. Her biggest struggle is that she doesn’t know what she’s going to do when her kids leave home. She’s built her life around being a mom.

Which invitation is going to work best to reach her?

Looking for purpose? I can help. Contact me today!

Are you ready for an empty nest? Contact me for information on finding purpose after your kids leave home.

Obviously, it’s the second one! The second headline shows that you understand her exact pain point and are offering to help. The first invitation is too broad and doesn’t tell her what you actually do.

Now, the second invitation also excludes certain people. People who are young. People who don’t have kids. People who have a long list of post-kid activities ready to go.

But that’s OK!

In order to be relevant to specific people, you have to be irrelevant to others. That’s the only way you’ll be able to work with the people you love most and do your best work for them. You have to exclude some people to truly serve others.

Connect Authentically

Once you’ve defined who you can best serve, you have to reach out to them in a way that’s authentic and draws them in. There are several important steps to this.

Step 1: Talk About Them, Not You

I hate to break it to you, but people aren’t nearly as interested in you as you think. They’re primarily interested in what’s in it for them.

Therefore, when communicating online or in person, focus on your prospect. Talk about what pain they have. Listen to what they have to say. Talk about solutions you offer that matter to them.

That doesn’t work. Effective marketing says, “Here’s what you’re struggling with, here’s what keeps you up at night. Here’s a solution you need. Contact me to get it.”

Step 2: Use the Customer’s Language

Being well educated in your field is great, but it can be a hindrance when you’re creating marketing. Specialists tend to “talk shop” instead of using the customer’s language.

Which makes sense to you?

“It’s really important to optimize your portfolio to minimize risk and maximize return. A mixture of mutual funds, short term T-bills, and government bonds would be a great mix for you at your age.”

“We want to make sure your retirement account builds value but also doesn’t lose money before you retire. I think a mix of fairly safe, high-quality investments is best for you at this time.”

Unless you know finance, the first paragraph probably means little to you. On the other hand, the second paragraph uses language you’re familiar with.

Sometimes we’re tempted to “sound smart” by using technical language. It’s a big no-no. If you want to really connect with your customer talk about their problems the way they do.

Step 3: Be the Real You

Finally, be yourself. Too many business owners feel the need to put on a mask and pretend to be someone they’re not. It never works.

Pretending to be extremely tight and professional when you’re truly silly and fun doesn’t serve anyone. Instead, bring your true personality into your work. Being authentic not only helps you feel more comfortable in your business, it helps your customers feel more comfortable around you.

People can tell when others are being fake. No one wants to work with a fake. By bringing your true personality and perspective into your business and marketing, you’ll be able to serve those who will work best with you.

Connect Authentically with Your Tribe

When you’ve defined who your tribe is and reached out to them authentically, you’ll find your business growing more quickly than you expected.

By identifying your niche and communicating in ways that make sense to them, you’ll be light years ahead of most of your competitors.

It can be hard to decide who you truly want to work with and how to be fully yourself in your business. If you struggle with narrowing your focus, I’m here to help. Sign up Here for The best tips on Visibility to your market today and you’ll receive 25 Ways to Fire Your Boss